VP - Chief Lending Officer

POSITION SUMMARY

The Vice President, Chief Lending Officer (CLO) is expected to embody the essence of servant leadership, prioritizing the needs of employees, members, and communities. The CLO will be committed to fostering a positive and inclusive workplace culture. They will promote an environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to contribute to the organization’s success. The individual serves as a champion of the credit union’s strategic direction, leading by example to innovate, adapt, and drive initiatives that propel Credit Union West towards a shared vision of growth, financial stability, and community prosperity.

The CLO partners closely with the CEO to drive the achievement of Credit Union West’s mission, vision, core values, and brand promise. Works in partnership with the Chief team to foster alignment, ensure standardized approaches, and communicate with one consistent organizational voice. As a visionary leader, the CLO is responsible for overseeing the strategic direction, development, and execution of goals across direct and indirect consumer lending, real estate lending, and investment services. With a deep understanding of lending and investments, the CLO develops and implements a comprehensive business plan focused on meeting members' loan and wealth management needs while ensuring the quality of the loan portfolio.

The CLO plays a critical role in driving operational efficiencies, optimizing service delivery, and refining product offerings and pricing models. By staying attuned to industry trends and performance analytics, the CLO continuously enhances lending and investment services, improving product penetration and enriching the member experience. The CLO is a key ambassador for the credit union, promoting its mission and value to external stakeholders and building strong relationships within the community. Additionally, the CLO supports efforts to improve lending and investment strategies, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and member expectations.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS & RESPONSIBILITIES

•Vision and Strategy – Support the CEO in setting the vision and values that inspire purpose for organizational performance and overall success. Focus on accelerating organization health and performance through cohesive strategic planning and execution to support the vision and mission of the credit union and the Board of Directors. Responsible for formalizing the company’s vision and mission and strategic planning processes to lead the development and translation of the strategy enterprise-wide to drive innovation, continuous improvement, organizational change, and synergies across the organization.

•Performance – Ensure the successful achievement of established performance expectations for all respective areas of oversight. Meet and exceed goals in the areas of sales, internal and external service excellence, operational controls, and budgets. Ensures the development of necessary policies and procedures for all areas of oversight to provide for requisite levels of service, consistency, cost-effective operations, compliance, and the protection of the Credit Unions interests.

•Financial Stability and Sustainability – Leads and maintains the safety, soundness, and sustainability of the Credit Union by developing and maintaining a corporate financial strategy that contributes to the success of the employee and member experience. Accountable for the financial and risk management operations of the Credit Union including the development of a financial and operational strategy, and the ongoing development and monitoring of control systems designed to preserve company assets and report accurate financial results. Ensure the successful achievement of corporate goals.

•Leadership, Culture, & Engagement – Cultivates a collaborative environment and workplace experience that hires, develops, and recognizes quality talent to meet the needs of the membership. Provides leadership, coaching, and mentorship to strengthen the Credit Union’s bench of future leaders and achieve business objectives. Lead in a way to inspire the mission and values of the organization to develop effective leaders and increase employee engagement to become an employer of choice.

•Board and External Relations – While the CEO maintains the primary relationship with the Board of Directors, the CLO plays a supportive role in ensuring the Board’s expectations are effectively translated into lending and investment strategies. Collaborates closely with the CEO to execute the Board’s vision, ensuring that lending practices, regulatory compliance, and risk management protocols are effectively implemented and aligned with the credit union's strategic goals

•Performs other duties as assigned.

EDUCATION: 

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, or related field at an accredited college/university is required. Master’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Economics, or related field at an accredited college/university is strongly preferred.

EXPERIENCE: 

10+ years of progressive senior leadership experience in lending operations, including loan pricing, portfolio management, risk-based lending, collections, and performance optimization. Proven expertise in overseeing the development and execution of lending strategies that meet both the financial goals of the institution and the needs of the members. Extensive experience in credit risk analytics and risk management within a financial institution, with a deep understanding of credit policy development, underwriting standards, and the creation and implementation of internal risk rating scorecards. Adept at utilizing data analytics to inform decision-making and optimize credit strategies, as well as developing and refining lending models to align with evolving market conditions and regulatory requirements